Harry Potter & The Shadow of the Serpent
by Son of Whitebeard
Summary: Harry starts his second year at Hogwarts a shadow of a legend is cast over the school, strange things have happened an elf's foolish omen people petrified one by one by an unknown force a threat lurks in the shadows from ancient times.


Harry Potter and the Shadow of the Serpent

By Mathieu Leader

Chapter One Golden Afternoon

Hardly a cloud was to be seen overhead in the grand garden of the Malfoy Estate, an ancient estate dating to the Norman Conquest being the family seat of the Malfoys for countless centuries. Today Draco was taking tea with his friend Theodore

"I do love the summer when it's warm," Theodore happily chirped

Draco nodded and sipped his tea whilst Theodore tucked into a scone prepared by that odd elf whom wore a worn pillowcase.

"Did you know that Professor Quirrell had passed away from a breakdown Astoria's dad wrote about in the Prophet must be something to with the teaching curse," Theodore said animatedly whilst pretending to choke himself

" _He was always a nervous idiot must've topped himself,"_ Draco gleefully remised imaging the stuttering professor strangling himself with his purple turban and then the morticians then casting a spell leaving the professor mummified and then being taken in a hearse finally being burnt in a roaring kiln having been successfully cremated.

"What rubbish Theo have you been reading the Quibbler again." Malfoy retorted with distain

"But Draco it is true both my dad and even my Nan on my mother's side had the same DADA professor she was always happy it is a curse. Everybody and his mother thinks that the sunshine shines out of Albus's arse but in the war he supposedly was on the quest for some relic and believed in wizard supremacy." Theo pleaded wanting Draco to believe him

Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes and that simpleton elfish servant emerged having overheard the boys conversation his green eyes aflame with fury and he spun around in concentric circles magically producing a pint sized tornado into which Theo was instantly plopped into he was shrieking at the top of his lungs scaring the birds from the trees leaving Draco scared stiff as the elf had completely disappeared from view.

The tornado that the elf had dematerialised leaving Theo shaking and having cuts and bruises to his face having spilt drips of tea on his red shirt.

The two friends went inside the manor where Draco's mother tended to Theo's injuries and had performed a silencing charm so that the boys did not have to hear the harrowing screams of their elf being beaten by Draco's father.

They had went into the small study to continue their conservation

Theo asked inquisitively "What has your dad been up too?"

"Dad has been trying to stop a Muggle protection bill by that dingbat Weasley who says they cannot helps themselves. Also Gramps Black is here not got long left."

"Really?" gasped Theo at the news that somewhere within the labyrinthine confines of Malfoy Manor that a member of one of the most prestigious noble families in Britain was spending the twilight of his life.

"Yes it is a crying shame that a family that played such a crucial role in our history has ended with mums sister disowned the Black family heir having drowned in a cave somewhere and his brother being a low-life." Muttered Draco feeling forlorn and shedding a few tears.

"Malignant melanoma from him sunning himself too much whilst cruising on the Riviera

The boys suddenly became startled as they heard a tremendous thudding on the celling and they heard the thudding continue downstairs.

The door suddenly swung open as in the doorway stood a stocky man wearing red braces and a yellow striped nightshirt with bushy ginger eyebrows with reddish curtained hair leaned on his wooden crutch.

Theo stared transfixed as the stocky mans curtained hair had simply receded instantly becoming bald his cloudy grey eyes becoming icy blue like his daughters.

The man said in a stern voice "Where is that shitty house-elf with my gin,"

"Don't know gramps," Draco said in a hushed tone his cheeks reddening with embarrassment that his grandfather sworn at him and his friend

Suddenly a glass goblet filled with gin materialised in Grandad Black's hand

"He's gone dad don't know," yelled Draco's mother from downstairs.

Grandad Black moved forwards, jabbing his cane on the floorboards specks of dust flying

He moved standing before Draco's pal peering at him with surprised with his eyebrows comically raised above his forehead showing his wrinkles around his dark moly skin "I saw you staring at me Knotty gawping at me like a manticore at the zoo…" spoke Grandad Black with increasing resentment

"S-orry Cygnus" stammered Theo

Then seeing the nervous face of Theo Grandad Black sighed

"Sometimes wizards and witches can change their appearances a rare gift amongst our kind but it has skipped a generation I bet." Then he said in softer mellower voice.

His hair had now returned but now was balding and stepped downstairs to the kitchen returning the glass to the cabinet.

"What's your dad doing Theo?" asked Draco eagerly

Theo cracked a big grin "Dad has been silly trying to woo Madam Zabini, also trying to get a publisher to republish my families pride and joy the Sacred Twenty-Eight but alas its not to be."

Draco laughed at the thought of Mr. Nott giving a box of chocolates to Ms. Zabini at a fancy bistro, over a candlelit dinner only for the box having been transfigured into a blood red rose returning the gift back to Nott as Zabini was trying maintain her famed slender figure. Nott was very pleased at this changed gift as he was a very keen gardener but a few moments later. Nott was instantly stung by a barrage of wasps starting an allergic reaction. The dinner with the sexy Ms. Zabini literally have taken Nott's breathe away now becoming the latest to the tally of Ms. Zabini's prematurely deceased suitors.

Have you tried getting Mr. Cuffe reprinting it in the prophet?" inquired Draco

"Nah not worth it," replied Theo dismissively

Grandpa Black returned from downstairs clenched in his hand was a broomstick but this was no ordinary broomstick it had a sleek black handle written in curved silver letters was the words _Nimbus 2001._

"Draco think of this as my last gift to you me and your dad brought it for try outs this year I have fond memories of being keeper on the house team do me and the family proud." Cheerily spoke Grandpa Black

Draco remained silent fondly remembering his gramps and had a sudden pang of anger that his grandfather was dying extraordinarily young age for wizards and witches, having just scraped into his fifties how unfair this whole cancer scenario was with Cygnus. Cygnus in his heyday was a model for Witch Weekly and the poster boy for Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and later was a Spell Registrar noted for registering new spells for the incantations index.

After dinner Theo went home having stayed with Draco for a fortnight and a couple of days later Grandad Black had succumbed to the cancer early in the morning. His dad had called the removal goblins to rid the house of Cygnus's belonging some of which seemed to be very dark and not safe in their household due to ministry investigations with Mr. Malfoy taking the darkest items to Mr. Borgin the pawnbroker.

Story notes

This is a retelling of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and this first chapter was told from the perspective of Draco Malfoy and this chapter was based on the cut chapter from the Chamber of Secrets which was based around the conversation of Theo and Draco.

Harry Potter and the Shadow of the Serpent was originally the title of the Chamber of Secrets:

There will be surprises and deviations in future chapters.

I hope you enjoy this in the first of many chapters


End file.
